Chapter 1159
The end of the chain connected to his hand was severed, and its length was exceedingly short.
Srrrk.
Moreover, its form flickered like a ghost, shifting into various shapes depending on the angle.
'This...'
In that instant, a bizarre thought flashed through Bu Eun-seol's mind.
The movement of that ever-changing chain—
It somehow resembled the trajectory of the Willful True Binding manifested through the Emotion Severing Secret Art.
'No way.'
After a brief moment of contemplation, Bu Eun-seol invoked the incantation from the Emotion Severing Secret Art. In that instant, his Spirit and Mind turned desolate, and all emotion vanished.
Neither joy nor sorrow remained—he had entered the Demonic Path.
Drip.
Suddenly, a cold, refined energy seemed to flow down his arm.
As Bu Eun-seol attempted to control that energy with the Emotion Severing Secret Art, as if unleashing the Willful True Binding—
Clang!
The phantom-like chain emitted a clear, crystalline sound, as though it were a real chain.
Grip.
When he ran his fingers over the chain connected to his palm, he felt a chilling sensation.
Cold, solid texture—weighty and dense.
It had perfectly materialized, as though forged from real steel.
"This can't be..."
The moment he halted the Emotion Severing Secret Art,
the chain dissolved back into a transparent thread and vanished into his palm.
"This is no coincidence."
A wave of dizziness washed over Bu Eun-seol.
The Emotion Severing Secret Art—
What he had assumed was merely an esoteric technique of the Demonic Heavenly Emperor—
Its true purpose was to serve as the key to manifesting the True Demon's authority, the Chain of Reincarnation, into reality.
"Stay calm."
Bu Eun-seol took a deep breath.
"Is Hall Master Sado the True Demon?"
It would be no exaggeration to say that the Chain of Reincarnation was what defined the True Demon.
The two were inseparable—a single origin that defined each other.
If the Demonic Heavenly Emperor was the True Demon,
then there would have been no need to create a secret art to manifest the Chain of Reincarnation.
"Then... is Hall Master Sado after the Chain of Reincarnation?"
But even this assumption had flaws.
If he desperately desired the Chain of Reincarnation,
he would never have passed down a secret art that allowed others to materialize and wield it.
Which led to the third hypothesis:
Perhaps the Demonic Heavenly Emperor deliberately taught the Emotion Severing Secret Art to exceptional individuals, intending to gather and absorb all the manifested chains once they accumulated.
"This is the most plausible reasoning at present. However..."
For this theory to hold,
the chain must have long since separated from the True Demon's body, splintered into fragments,
and a secret art to manifest it must have been researched for ages.
But if that were the case,
it would completely contradict the memories of the True Demon he had witnessed within Naria's Spirit and Mind, as well as the timeline.
"Still, the mere existence of an incantation to manifest the chain validates the Absolute Demon Saber Project."
The ultimate goal of the Absolute Demon Saber Project was to research whether an ordinary human could wield the chain.
Meaning the Emotion Severing Secret Art was not created by the Demonic Heavenly Emperor—it had been completed long ago.
"Then..."
The Chain of Reincarnation was an intangible force, an authority.
Since the Emotion Severing Secret Art allowed it to materialize, it could also be severed—and the one who carried that out was...
"Grandfather."
The last person he knew to have possessed the chain was his grandfather, Bu Jan-yang, who had been selected in the Absolute Demon Saber Project.
"Then... was Daoist Mok also someone who knew Grandfather?"
To personally safeguard an artifact too dangerous to be left even in the Sacred Realm—
If this truly was the Chain of Reincarnation,
it should never have been stored in Daoist Mok's office. Could he have been entrusted with it by Grandfather's request?
Krrrk.
Bu Eun-seol moved to close the heavy iron coffin once more—
But then, he noticed something attached to the inside of the door.
A small letter.
—I will return as the successor of the Sacred Realm.
"The successor of the Sacred Realm."
He had been Ja Su-ryeon's lover, the man presumed to be Jin Seol's father.
Yet Daoist Mok had been in contact with him?
Perhaps the successor of the Sacred Realm had also been safeguarding a fragment of the chain,
and had entrusted it to Daoist Mok for safekeeping.
After all, who would ever imagine that within the Pratyekabuddha Hall—the most heavily guarded place in the Martial Alliance—
lay an Absolute Boundary accessible only to those capable of wielding the Darkness Secret Arts?
'In other words... the Chain of Reincarnation is scattered, with different individuals safeguarding its fragments.'
That was the final conclusion he could draw for now.
"I've lingered too long."
Stepping back outside, he mimicked Daoist Mok's mannerisms to inspect the Pratyekabuddha Hall before swiftly slipping out of the Martial Alliance.
Meanwhile, the Martial Venerable, having returned from the Pratyekabuddha Hall to the Heaven and Earth Pavilion office, sat at the desk.
After reading through the piled-up letters for some time, he stared blankly into the air and shook his head as if struck by a thought.
"How peculiar. Even for the Sacred Realm..."
Though the Sacred Realm had eyes and ears throughout the martial world,
to send a replacement for the Forest Pavilion chief so swiftly?
"And the investigation isn't even concluded yet."
Seated at the desk, the Martial Venerable nodded faintly and muttered to himself.
"I must never underestimate the Sacred Realm."
"To perfectly mimic someone, you must observe them for a long time and converse with them face-to-face."
No matter how powerful the Darkness Secret Arts may be.
To create someone with Daoist Mok's exact mannerisms, qi, speech patterns, and aura in such a short time?
That was something impossible to achieve in mere days.
"I will have to win over this envoy from the Sacred Realm."
Shaking his head, the Martial Venerable began reading through the piled-up letters one by one.
He, too, was orchestrating multiple Grand Designs, operating various covert intelligence networks.
The current martial world was, in essence, a battlefield of information warfare.
Without mastery over news from all factions and strata, one could never know when or where they might stumble.
Knock knock.
Just then, a knock sounded at the door, followed by the voice of a Unit Member from the Blue Thunder Division—the Information Warfare Unit directly under the Alliance Chief.
"Alliance Chief. It's Hwigyeom."
"What is it?"
"The investigation team dispatched by the Sacred Realm has just arrived."
What?!
Thud!
The Martial Venerable shot up from his seat as if spring-loaded, eyes widening.
Only now did he realize he had been deceived.
BOOM!
Unfolding his Movement Technique, he left the Martial Alliance in an instant, then executed the Qi-Piercing Ascent, soaring to the heavens.
He rose high enough to touch the clouds, yet no fleeing figure was in sight.
'Have they already left Henan?'
After a brief hesitation, he bit his lip.
'They've mixed Golden Cicada True Qi with their energy to prevent tracking through Soul-Demon Magic Energy.'
Whoosh—
In an instant, black mist erupted from his entire body, coalescing into a colossal Demon God Statue that blotted out the sky.
To capture the fleeing intruder, he unleashed not only the power of the Martial Divine Heaven but also the strength he had stolen from the True Heaven Emperor.
Groooowl—
Then, from hundreds of li away, he detected the faintest ripple of the Sound of Breaking Air.
'So they were still scheming in the Pratyekabuddha Hall and only just crawled out.'
The fact that they hadn't yet escaped Henan despite such speed meant the impostor posing as Daoist Mok had only just left the Martial Alliance.
For him, this was an immense stroke of luck.
'Got you!'
KRRRUMBLE—
At that moment, the Demon God Statue hovering in the sky was instantly absorbed back into the Martial Venerable's body.
Catching a master of this caliber from such a distance was impossible through normal means.
He intended to pursue using the Martial Divine Heaven's power—a force that freely dominated space itself.
Crackle—
As the Demon God Statue merged with him, crimson fissures split open across his skin.
Simultaneously, black energy surged from his pupils, and—
Hiss—
The heavens began to darken.
Groooowl—
Bu Eun-seol, who had been fleeing Henan at full speed using his Movement Technique, suddenly heard thunder rumble.
The sky, as if dipped in ink, turned pitch black.
'No way—'
Flash!
From the darkened heavens, a razor-sharp strand of energy abruptly shot toward his forehead.
BANG!
Twisting his body aside just in time, he dodged—
CRASH!
—as the energy obliterated an entire distant mountain ridge in a single stroke. The sheer destructive force was terrifying enough to defy belief.
Zzzzt—
Meanwhile, black whirlpools began spreading across the ground around Bu Eun-seol as he ran.
'What now?'
An eerie energy pulsed from the black vortices.
It was unlike any Supernatural Power or Art of Spells he had encountered before—an utterly bizarre nature.
'One thing's certain—this isn't martial arts.'
The black whirlwinds erupting from the earth not only halved the speed of his Lightness Art
but also made his movements sluggish, as if he were submerged in water.
SCREEEECH—
Then, from behind him, accompanied by the sound of the heavens tearing apart, a stark white figure materialized directly in his path.
It was the Martial Venerable.
"So here you are."
The Martial Venerable's skin was fissured, his entire body rippling with an uncanny power.
'The Martial Venerable—he's the one who cast this spell.'
He was renowned as the foremost authority on the martial arts of all orthodox factions.
Moreover, he had once concealed his own Secret Vault using the Absolute Boundary... so his mastery of spells was hardly surprising.
"You dare deceive me—the Alliance Chief?"
The Martial Venerable's body radiated a white Killing Intent that shimmered like heat haze as he glared at Bu Eun-seol.
"Who the hell are you?!"
BANG!
Instead of answering, Bu Eun-seol detonated his internal energy, launching himself skyward like a bullet.
HUM—
But an enormous barrier now blocked his path.
The Martial Venerable had not only pursued him with spells but had also woven a Binding Formation Arts akin to the Life-and-Death Combat Formation in the meantime.
"Given that you're unaware of the Sacred Realm's movements... you're not one of theirs."
The Martial Venerable stared down at Bu Eun-seol, his voice laced with disbelief.
"How did you learn the Sacred Realm's secret arts?"
'So the Sacred Realm has sent someone to the Martial Alliance.'
Bu Eun-seol deduced that an envoy from the Sacred Realm must have arrived shortly after his departure.
Otherwise, the Martial Venerable wouldn't have said, 'unaware of the Sacred Realm's movements.'
"Our Sacred Realm has complicated circumstances."
Having grasped the situation, Bu Eun-seol maintained an indifferent expression as he bluffed.
"This old man merely came to Pratyekabuddha Hall for an investigation. I had no intention of deceiving you."
"Huhuhuhu. Nonsense."
Martial Venerable sneered.
"Do I look like some lowly foot soldier to you?"
"......"
"Hah. What's the point of such questions?"
A mysterious radiance flickered across Martial Venerable's face as he hovered midair.
"I'll just kill you on the spot and peel you apart—then I'll know everything."
"Are you declaring yourself an enemy of the Sacred Realm?"
"You've got quite the guts. Still trying to play the disciple of the Sacred Realm in front of me?"
"Are you truly resolved for a fight to the death?"
At Bu Eun-seol's words, a blade-like glint surged from Martial Venerable's pupils.
"You should've been prepared for this the moment you deceived me!"
As he extended his hand—not martial arts, not spellcraft, not even a supernatural power—
A force so alien and overwhelming, as if twisting the very fabric of the world, cascaded forth.
'I absolutely cannot reveal my true identity.'
Bu Eun-seol bit his lip.
What if he used True Void?
Not only would his identity be exposed instantly, but they would also discover he possessed the Darkness Secret Arts.
If that happened, not only would he lose all means of tracking the Martial Alliance's movements—
It would also create a massive disruption in the Grand Design he had been meticulously constructing.
Such a thing must not be allowed to happen.
'But I can't break through in one move.'
The Binding Formation Arts spread throughout the area were far more intricate and refined than even the Life-and-Death Combat Formation.
Without unleashing Harmonization, escape was impossible.
"No need to rack your brains from now on."
A pure white energy erupted from Martial Venerable's body before coalescing into his fist.
"When death comes, you'll spill everything on your own."
KWA-AANG!
The energy transformed into a streak of lightning, piercing straight toward Bu Eun-seol's heart.
One of Martial Venerable's signature techniques—Severing Thunder Hand—had been unleashed.
ZIIING!
Just as the razor-sharp Hand Blade was about to strike—
SWISH! CRACKLE!
Bu Eun-seol began swaying his body wildly, like a madman.
Martial Venerable was a man who had mastered the most extensive martial arts in the world.
Rather than clumsily concealing True Void—
Relying solely on instinct and senses, improvising on the spot—
Displaying unpredictable martial arts would better conceal his identity.
PA-PA-PA-PA!
With each desperate, erratic movement, the Severing Thunder Hand's blade slashed uselessly through empty air.
"Hmph."
Martial Venerable snorted.
"Foolish antics."
He had already seen through Bu Eun-seol's intent—deliberately avoiding the use of True Void to endure.
"Let's see how long you can hold back your True Void Martial Arts."
Martial Venerable was a grandmaster who had mastered all martial arts under heaven.
No matter how well Bu Eun-seol hid True Void or moved unpredictably—
It was only a matter of time before he discerned the root principles embedded within his martial arts.
SWISH! SHWISH!
But Bu Eun-seol, too, stood unrivaled among the younger generation in the depth of his True Martial Scripture.
To ensure his internal energy remained undetectable—
He discarded all martial principles he possessed, shaking his body like a madman to evade the attacks.
"You brat!"
As Martial Venerable adjusted his strikes to match Bu Eun-seol's movements—
ZIIING!
Channeling his internal energy, Bu Eun-seol formed a Sword Qi and, utilizing the profound principle of Formlessness Defeats Form—
Released a massive Sword Force like an arrow, blocking the Thunder-Splitting Hand Force.
"You're no disciple of the Sacred Realm."
Martial Venerable's eyes flashed as he realized—
Not only was Bu Eun-seol's martial prowess extraordinarily high—
But none of the techniques he used bore any relation to the Sacred Realm.
"You know who I am, yet dare to conceal your martial arts?"
Unable to trace the origins of Bu Eun-seol's martial arts, Martial Venerable's lips curled with interest instead.
"Fine. Let me take a proper look."
In an instant, the world before Bu Eun-seol's eyes twisted.
The moment their gazes met, the surrounding scenery began fading into obscurity.
A secret art from Wuyuan Guizong—once revered as the martial world's Sacred Land—
Spiritual Contemplation, Serene Soul Manifestation, had been unleashed.
This art did not invade the spirit and mind—it discerned the very structure of one's soul.
No matter how formidable one's spiritual defenses were—
The origins of their Orthodox and Unorthodox Paths would be instantly exposed.
"Even a disciple of the Sacred Realm cannot block this."
Just as Martial Venerable smirked in confidence—
SSSSHHH—
Within Bu Eun-seol's consciousness, an endlessly deep Abyss swallowed the secret art's power in an instant.
Baekri Geom-ha had vanished into the Abyss, but in preparation for the possibility that Bu Eun-seol might be unable to defend against a spiritual attack in his absence—
He had left behind an infinitely deep hole in that place.
Thanks to this, Wuyuan Guizong's secret art was helplessly sucked into the void without a trace.
"Serene Soul Manifestation... failed?"
Martial Venerable's eyes widened.
No matter how he thought about it—
He could never have imagined that Bu Eun-seol's other self had carved such a vast abyss within his soul.
When a Secret Art that even the Demonic Heavenly Emperor could not defend against vanished, his expression hardened.
"Good."
The flicker of surprise lasted only a moment.
A murderous Killing Intent began seeping from Martial Venerable's entire body.
"Only with skills like this does it become interesting."
A low murmur accompanied a thunderous explosion, and in an instant, the sky vanished—the world plunged into pitch-black darkness.
From within that abyss, ominous wails, as if from tormented spirits, echoed from all directions.
"If you block this, you might just leave here alive."
As Martial Venerable lightly extended his hand toward the empty air—
Kukukuku.
A swirling mass of Qi, a fusion of an alien force and internal energy, took shape.
Zzzzing.
Finally, it condensed into a small sphere before—
Piiii!
With an eerie Sound of Breaking Air, it split into dozens of tendrils, writhing like a swarm of venomous snakes as they shot toward Bu Eun-seol.
'This—'
What Martial Venerable had unleashed was no mere Qi technique.
Each strand carried his will, like a separate incarnation—
Some sought to pierce like a spear, others to cleave like a saber, and still others to crush like a fist.
Each embodied a different profound Martial Principle, yet they moved in perfect Harmonization, cutting off every possible escape.
Wooong!
Bu Eun-seol summoned his sword once more, deflecting the storm of luminous Qi.
Paa! Paaaa!
As sword energy clashed with Qi—
A deafening explosion, as if light itself had shattered, sent concentric shockwaves rippling through heaven and earth.
'Tch.'
Bu Eun-seol's brow furrowed.
No matter how much power he poured into his strikes, they refused to dissipate.
Embedded with an esoteric Martial Arts profundity, even a moment's lapse left deep gashes across his body.
'This isn't Martial Venerable's true strength.'
The Qi Martial Arts he wielded now transcended the boundaries of martial techniques—closer to an ominous, alien Supernatural Power.
Sssak!
The slightest falter in his defense—
And before he could react, dozens of luminous strands pierced his pressure points, burrowing into his flesh.
Zzzzing.
The moment they grazed him, his body shuddered violently.
Just like Jeong Myeong's Tathagata True Qi in the past.
Each strand carried an energy designed to disrupt the balance of power within him.
'So he already suspected me.'
A man like Martial Venerable wouldn't unleash such a technique by coincidence.
He had deliberately chosen this method—
Because he had considered the possibility that the man before him might be Bu Eun-seol.
'Even Misty Waves of Rivers and Lakes won't work here.'
Bbrrrrr.
His body, battered by the Qi, trembled uncontrollably—on the verge of tearing apart—
Crrack.
A sudden bone-chilling sound echoed, and just as swiftly, his condition stabilized.
Counterflow Fusion Art.
A Mind-Training Formula that nullified internal disruption, imposing order upon chaos.
Flash! Shatterrr!
In that instant, Martial Venerable's body transformed into a sword, lunging at Bu Eun-seol.
Seizing the momentary weakness of Counterflow Fusion Art, he had executed Body-Sword Unity.
'Just Body-Sword Unity?'
Any Master who reached the Transcendence Realm could perform it—a technique that turned the body itself into a projectile.
Though devastating in power, it left glaring openings.
Of course, when a supreme Absolute Master like Martial Venerable employed it—
Its speed became lightning-fast, nearly impossible to evade—but that was all.
—"If you block this, you might just leave here alive!"
For a man of his stature, such a boast over this technique was almost laughable.
Whirrrr.
Unable to use Swift Shadowless, Bu Eun-seol instead executed Mad Dragon's Somersault—
Spinning his body like a top through the air.
Flash!
Martial Venerable, now a streak of light, passed through him as if slicing through empty space.
"Got you."
Martial Venerable's low voice resonated.
Thud.
At the same time, Bu Eun-seol, still midair, plummeted limply to the ground.
As he landed, his body collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut—
His energy drained in an instant, limbs refusing to obey.
Strange.
Martial Venerable's Body-Sword Unity had been swift as lightning, devastating—
But Bu Eun-seol had deflected all physical force with Mad Dragon's Somersault.
So why did he now suffer such severe internal injuries?
Shhh.
Martial Venerable descended before him, his gaze icy.
"Impressive."
His face bore the smugness of a victor, eyes laced with mockery.
"An ordinary martial artist would've turned to blackened ash on the spot."
Sssss.
White smoke rose from his wounds as an indescribable agony surged through him—
As if hundreds of needles were threading through his Meridians.
Bu Eun-seol tried expelling the invasive energy, but the pain only worsened.
"Futile."
Martial Venerable raised a finger, displaying its tip.
"You thought it was mere Body-Sword Unity, didn't you?"
A sinister black aura, like heat haze, coiled around it.
"What I unleashed was—"
But then, the unexpected happened.
"The Profound Energy Great Art, wasn't it?"
Bu Eun-seol cut him off, his expression now eerily composed.